CHAPTER THREE; BAD MOON RISING

❝ perhaps some things truly are better left unsaid ❞

･ ｡ﾟ☆

❝ the salvatore boarding house [ great room ] ❞

"THANKS FOR COMING, Rick," Stefan said as his brother shut the door behind the older human man. Maya was sitting in the Salvatore living room with the brothers and her sister.

"I got you something to drink. Coffee, bourbon? Bourbon in your coffee," Damon asked sarcastically coming up behind them standing by the couch.

Alaric responded as he took a seat on the couch next to the younger twin, "Maya mentioned you needed my help."

"Yeah, we were hoping you could help shed some light on the Lockwood family," Stefan explained to the human hoping for some information.

The Saltzman glanced confusedly around at them asking them, "Now, why would I know anything about the Lockwood's?"

Speaking up once more Damon leaned forward explaining, "You wouldn't. But your dead not dead vampire wife might." Maya tensed thinking about her birth mother was always a punch in the gut.

Maya sat up slightly telling Alaric, "He's talking about Isobel's research from when you guys were at Duke together."

In addition, the youngest Salvatore reminded, "You said that she has spent years researching this town."

"Isobel's research here in Mystic Falls rounded in folklores and legends but at the time I thought much of which was fiction," offered the hunter believing the path they were on very well may be a dead end.

Cocky the eldest in the room deduced, "Like that amazing vampire story."

Rolling her eyes at his ego Elena asked eggar to know anything, "Aside from vampires, what else was there?"

Hesitant for a moment Alaric reluctantly admitted, "The lycanthrope."

With suspicion leaking from her voice MJ confirmed, "Wait, like werewolves?"

"No way, impossible, way too launchy," Damon argued with the male as he came around to actually sit down in the conversation pit with them.

Stefan looked at his brother questioning, "Is it?"

"I've been on this planet one hundred and sixty some on years, never came across one. If werewolves exist, where the hell are they," the raven-haired man asked making a good point.

Curious the Saltzman asked him, "Why do you suspect the Lockwood's?"

The pairs of siblings shared looks of hesitance before Maya spoke up for them all saying, "Because vervain didn't affect the mayor at Founder's Day, but the Gilbert device did, and it affected his son Tyler."

Stefan further explained the story, "And at the school carnival his uncle Mason exhibited inhuman behavior when he fell into the carnival's worker. It suggests it's some sort of a supernatural entity."

Speaking up on Tyler's behalf the younger twin said as she nervously messed with her hands, "I know Tyler best and if he knew he was something supernatural he'd tell me. I don't think he has any idea about this." Looking directly at Alaric she finished, "And we were hoping that Isobel's research could help us figure it out what it is."

"Well, all her things are still at Duke. I mean her office is still there, she's technically still missing," he mumbled still resentful towards his ex-wife.

Eager to know Damon asked the human, "So can we get access to it?" Alaric stared back at him as he added on, "Ric, we don't know what we are dealing with. If this wolf men thing is true, we have seen enough movies to know it's not good. It means Mason Lockwood is a real-life Lon Chaney and that Tyler punk may just very well be Lon Chaney junior which means Bella Lugosi, meaning me, is totally screwed."

Looking around Alaric spoke getting up from the couch, "Alright I'll take you." Walking towards the front door saying, "I'll pick you guys up."

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❝ outside the gilbert house ❞

Maya and Damon watched as her sister and his brother exited the house. As they pair stopped to speak with Jenna, Maya opened the car door throwing her bag to keep her busy inside. Just as she shut the door her sister and her boyfriend were right behind them.

Damon couldn't miss his chance to mock, "Sorry you can't come too, Stef." Maya rolled her eyes at his obvious attempt at trying to piss his brother off. She was choosing to ignore him as she took her sisters bag putting it next to hers.

"Call me if you need anything," Stefan told his girlfriend ignoring his brother.

Once more the eldest Salvatore mocked, "Oh, I'll take really good care of her."

Out of pure spite and knowing it would hurt him, Elena grabbed Stefan by the neck and kissed him deeply. The sight of which made her twin get straight into the car.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ alaric's car ❞

They were on the road for about an hour before May could hear Damon asking them, "How are you two doing back there?" Neither one of the girls said a word so he carried on, "You know, this whole pretending to hate me thing is getting a little silly."

"I don't think they're pretending. You did kill their brother," said Alaric as he looked back at them in the rear-view mirror.

"I'm not pretending," insisted Maya still keeping her eyes on the trees they passed.

Damon still had the audacity to correct, "There is a huge asterisk next to that statement: he came back to life."

Maya laughed at his distinction, "Yeah, because that's really the point of it."

The older twin instantly added on, "And thanks to a ring that you didn't know he was wearing."

Looking back at them in the back seat he countered, "Why are you so sure I didn't know?"

Finally, Maya looked inside the car at Damon asking him, "Did you?"

"Yes," answered the Salvatore his eyes slightly avoiding theirs.

Saying exactly what her twin was thinking, Elena deduced, "You're lying."

Turning his body so he was looking back out the window he said, "Elena, I saw the ring! It's a big tacky thing. Hard to miss."

"You are such a fucking liar," muttered Maya resting her head on the window once more.

"On that note, how's Caroline, Maya? Still upset about you lying," Damon countered as the hunter clenched her jaw in the back seat.

Feeling everyone waiting for her answer she bitterly replied, "She's upset, and she wants her space. Unlike you I can hear that and not try to kill her mother for rejecting me."

Damon frowned admitting, "Ouch, you got me there."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ university of duke [ folklore building ] ❞

As Maya walked down the halls of Duke, she wondered what it would've been like for her to grown up with a mother who worked there. She wondered who they both would be today if Isobel had kept and raised her. "So, Isobel was officially employed by the anthropology department given that most paranormal phenomenon is rooted in folklore," Alaric explained to them as they arrived at the office doors.

Seconds later, a woman exited the doorway and Alaric stopped her saying, "Excuse me, hi. I'm Alaric Saltzman, I called earlier."

The womans face lit up in recognition saying, "Yes, of course. I'm Vanessa Monroe, research assistant, comparative folklore." As she finished speaking Vanessa's eyes fell to the twins starring at them strangely as she stuttered, "Uh, let me just grab Isobel's keys."

Noticing her line of sight and assuming it was to all of them Alaric explained, "These are my friends, Maya, Elena, and Damon. I hope this isn't too much of an imposition."

Vanessa shook her head insisting, "Oh please, Isobel's office is right through there. Isobel was one of my first professors. I'm a grad student." She explained finishing opening the door allowing them all into the room. "She was brilliant, and one of the reasons I went into folklore. Uh, I have to ask - has there been any news?"

As they spoke Maya began moving about the room looking at the books on her walls. "No, I'm afraid not," said Alaric shortly.

Offering them more help, Vanessa excused herself, "I'll grab the light, feel free to look around. It's fascinating, isn't it?"

A she left the group of four looked around the room, Maya noticed how she didn't hear Vaness's voice anymore. Turning back around, Maya asked everyone, "Where'd she go?"

Suddenly revealing herself from behind the door frame, Vanessa pointed a crossbow at Elena. Without second thought, she shot the arrow, but Damon rushed over placing himself in front of Elena to protect her. The arrow landed in his back, and before Vanessa could shoot again, Maya charged at her.

She kicked the woman in her side forcing her to fall into the shelf beside her. In her fall Maya rushed for the crossbow quickly taking it in her hand aiming it at her. "Why did you do that," Maya demanded to know. Vanessa wouldn't say a word so the brunette looked down at her hand, pressing her foot down on it. The woman shouted out from the pain, "What was that? I'm sorry I couldn't hear you."

"Alright, that's enough," said Alaric moving the young girl back from Vanessa. While Elena helped Damon remove the arrow, Alaric and May forced the woman into the next room. He shoved her into a chair to which she immediately stood up from only to feel Maya's thumb dig into her collar bone as she shoved her back down.

"Please! I freaked out okay," Vanesa protested her mind racing with fear, "Alright, you would have done the same thing, it's not possible! Katherine Pierce can't be alive, Samara Pierce can't be alive, nor Damon Salvatore who died in 1864. Okay? I read Isobel's research."

"Well, then you should know just how possible this is," said Alaric as he leaned against his ex-wife's desk.

Crossing her arms Maya defensively reminded, "And if you really believed that you wouldn't have felt the need to shoot us."

Both Elena and Damon entered the room as Maya finished speaking. "I'm Elena Gilbert," began the older twin who pointed to her sister finishing, "And this is my twin, Maya. We're Isobel's daughter and a descendant of Katherine Pierce and Samara. And this is Damon Salvatore who you just shot."

"I'd be extra nice to me right now," warned Damon with a tight warning smiling.

Sighing as she took the seat across from Vanessa, the younger Gilbert finished, "Look, we need your help, okay? We need to see all of Isobel's research, anything related to Mystic Falls."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ duke university [ isobel's office ] ❞

Vanessa joined the twins at the tables bringing them a box telling them, "This box checks Katherine's and Samara's arrival to Mystic Falls in April 1864."

Taking one look at the sheer amount of it Maya asked, "Is that all there is about them?"

"All that I'm aware of," admitted the human.

As she dug through the boxes Elena noticed the vervain lying in the box. Ripping off a piece of it she whispered to her as he offered her a piece, "Here, take this."

Vanessa cast a look over her shoulder at Damon who was in the other room, looking for information, "Does vervain really work?"

"Nope, not at all," Damon said standing in the doorway with his back to them not taking his eyes off the book.

"Can he hear us," Vanessa asked trying to lower her voice more than it already was.

Mocking her increasing levels of fear, Damon answered, "No, that would be creepy."

Sarcastically the human student asked them, "Can he read minds too?"

Finally turning around, Damon reasoned cockily, "You know, if you want to see me naked, all you have to do is ask."

This time Maya answered telling her, "No, that he can't do. He is, however, very capable of being a first-rate jackass. Ignore him, it's what I usually do." Vanessa couldn't help but grin as she took the vervain stuffing it in her pocket.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

"Any luck," asked Damon as he joined the youngest Gilbert.

Not even looking to him Maya muttered miserably, "There's nothing in here about Shay, Katherine that we don't already know. Other than Shay preferred her real name Samara more than her made up one. Beside that we are firmly on square one."

Damon sighed offering, "Ah, man, you know, it's a bummer we're not friends anymore because I could tell you what I know."

Maya turned towards him crossing her arms as she said, "You could, but knowing you the price very well be Jeremy's life."

Interrupting them Elena called out, "Hey guys, check this out."

The two joined the others at the second table they had gathered all the materials on. As soon as they were close enough Vanessa began, "There's no record of werewolf mythology in Mystic Falls, but here are some records of some of the lesser-known legends. Everything from Scandinavian skin-walkers to the Maréchal de Retz."

She handed them a book with drawings, Maya took it holding it between her sister and Damon. It was, a perhaps, crudely drawn picture of a standing wolf. "Tonartsliitsii Metslii, which roughly translates into the 'curse of the sun and the moon.'"

Flipping through the pages Maya muttered, "Yeah because that doesn't sound made up."

Vanessa shrugged not knowing the difference between fact and fiction since this morning. "It's Aztec. It explains one origin of the werewolf curse traced through Virginia. The short story: 600 years ago, the Aztecs were plagued by werewolves and vampires. They terrorized the countryside, made farming and hunting impossible until an Aztec shaman cursed them, making vampires slaves to the sun and werewolves' servants of the moon. As a result, vampires could only prowl at night and werewolves could only turn on a full moon. When the full moon crests in the sky, who's ever unlucky enough to fall under the werewolf curse turns into a wolf."

"Can they control the transformation," wondered Damon peering over Maya's shoulder at the book.

Joyfully taking her chance to make him feel stupid, Vanessa obviously deduced, "If it were a choice, it wouldn't be called a curse. Werewolves will attack humans but instinct and centuries of rivalry have hardwired them to hunt their prey of choice: vampires."

"Oh that's just perfect for us," sighed Maya shutting the book placing it back down.

Elena instantly looked to Damon knowing he, and by extension the rest of her vampire friends. But Damon, refusing to let his fear show denied, "Well, if werewolves were hunting vampires, I would know about it."

"Not if there aren't that many werewolves left alive. Hundreds of years ago, vampires hunted them almost to extinction, not to mention the humans who hunted them," explained vanessa truly believing it was just as possible for this story to be true.

"Why would they do that," inquired Elena from her seat.

Vanessa simply shrugged offering what little she could, "To protect themselves. Legend has it that a werewolf bite is fatal to vampires."

Maya's eyes shut as she angrily retorted, "You've got to be kidding me..."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

Maya was searching through the boxes when she came across a picture of Samara. It was similar to the one Stefan had, Samara was in a blue dress and her hood. Above the photo of here was, 'Samara Pierce, 1863.' The longer she looked at it the more it made her wonder.

As Vanessa passed her by, Maya asked, "Hey, have you done any research on doppelgängers?"

"Well, the word means a lot of different things to different cultures, but typically a doppelgänger is a living, breathing double of oneself."

"Did Isobel have anything that explained the link between us and the Pierce's," questioned the brunette as she spun the ring on her pointer finger.

The human regretfully told her, "That's all she had on Katherine, unfortunately, but I can tell you that doppelgängers usually torment the people they look like, trying to undo their lives. It's not exactly uplifting."

"Is that all you had on Samara," Maya asked noticing how she neglected to mention her.

Vanessa leaned against the table answering, "Isobel was a little bit more obsessed with the story of Samara, seeing you I think I understand why now." Maya refused to meet her eyes, so Vanessa carried on, "Samara was a part of the doppelganger line that had been cursed."

Overhearing them, Elena stood walking over to ask, "Cursed how?"

Vanessa hesitated to find the right words, rubbing the back of her neck she answered, "I don't know why or exactly how, just that Samara's line of doppelgangers is particularly violent." The Gilbert clutched herself knowing well enough the curse was real. Hearing just about her violence was enough to confirm it.

"It's almost like the curse of the wolves, aggression creates a killer except there is no real way to find relief, when wolves trigger their curse, it's the only time their rage actually feels even slightly controllable. The anger doesn't go anywhere so it just festers and ruins them slowly but surely."

"So, for me, being a doppelganger means slowly losing my mind until I am nothing but a violent manipulative bitch," confirmed Maya trying to make a joke out of how she really felt. The loook on Vanessa face was enough of a confirmation.

Maya had always believed she was losing it, but to hear that she actually was, and it was because of a curse she had nothing to do with. Seeing the secretly pained look on her twin's face, Elena reached out for her hand squeezing it.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ maya's apartment ❞

Maya was just finishing setting up snacks for her and Elena when there was a knock at her door. Assuming it was her sister who had asked to sleepover she rushed for the door. Only, when she opened it, it was Caroline on the other side sheepishly waiting.

"Hey," the blonde said quietly.

"Caroline, hey. I didn't think I'd be seeing you here," Maya said opening the doorway for her to enter fully. Seeing how nervous she was, the brunette questioned, "Is everything alright?"

Pinching her pointed finger the Forbes vampire said, "I had to compel Matt to forget I attacked him tonight."

"What," said Maya as she led the blonde to sit on her couch.

Caroline nodded confirming, "I nearly killed him and when I realized I didn't something clicked. I think I realized what you had been doing for me and everyone else. You didn't lie because you wanted to, or even without trying to figure out another way, but because there was no other way. And now I feel awful for what I said to you, and I was just wondering if you could forgive me. Which I know is asking a lo--"

Cutting her off Maya took her by her hands insisting, "It doesn't matter, you were reeling from a lot of new information. I don't need to forgive you because I was never angry with you in the first place." Relief found Caroline so Maya lifted her chin gently asking, "Elena's supposed to sleep over tonight, how about you stay, and we make it a girl's night?"

Despite how much they both wanted Bonnie there, they knew she wasn't ready to be with them yet. "I would really like that," agreed Caroline.

"Good, because I am going to order your favorite Chinese and make Elena pick it up," Maya got up from her couch searching for her menus and house phone. The whole while, Caroline couldn't stop watching her. Her horrible day had been washed away in mere seconds after talking to her. No one else could do that, but Maya could.

maya's outfit next chapter